


Until Further Notice

by ThighHighAnon



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Accidental Boners, And then being embarrassed by it and hiding in the shower, Caring Hannibal, Cigars, Cuddling, Dark Will Graham, Domestic, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Emotions, Feelings, Flashback, Hannibal teases him, Hannibal thinks it’s cute, Happy, Humor, Lazy Mornings, M/M, Masturbation, Morning Cuddles, Morning Wood, Not Beta Read, On the Run, Picnic, Post-Fall (Hannibal), Sassy Will Graham, Scar touching, Scars, Sharing Clothes, Sharing a Bed, Shy Will, Slice of Life, Star Gazing, Teasing, Wholesome, Will attempts diy, Will being sleepy and affectionate, Will wears Hannibal’s jumper, attending the opera, dark hannigram, hannibal can smell it, hannibal drawing will, hannibal speaking Lithuanian, more morning wood, never let that trope die pls, playful, sarcastic Hannibal, soft, they kill together, tw for that I guess?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:35:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21886780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThighHighAnon/pseuds/ThighHighAnon
Summary: Post-Fall Hannibal and Will are on the run, living in a remote cabin in the woods.This fic explores their transition into a new life together and changes in their relationship.Includes a flash back briefly explaining how they got to safety.
Relationships: Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Comments: 71
Kudos: 186





	1. Chapter 1

If you were to stand outside, in a land of white and cold amongst the mythically large and dark green trees, and look at the remote cabin from a little distance, you’d see an orange box of soft light inside. Light that seeps through the window of the cabin and contrasts greatly with the harsh, yet pure and magical looking, white snow surrounding it.

A square of glowing orange warmth amongst a sea of biting cold white. 

It’s concealed, tucked away neatly amongst the snow and trees and not far from a little river that seems to go on for miles.  
Will had followed it for a while once, not wanting to end his very successful fishing trip. 

He’d found himself afraid to go too far. 

They’d been here for a while now, maybe a few months. It was remote, and cosy, and they were comfortable. Will wasn’t quite sure what they were actually doing here. They were essentially fully healed now, so perhaps they were just gathering energy for when they would eventually move on to a place with more life and people, maybe when things have calmed down and they aren’t the most wanted men around. 

If they stay quiet for long enough, Jack might think they hadn’t survived the drop. 

And then they can move on from here, together. If that’s what they want. Is it what they want? They haven’t really spoken about it. Just remained in a cosy limbo until further notice.

So many times, Will had wanted to ask Hannibal, What are we still doing here? We’re healed now, shouldn’t we move on? Why are we staying in one place? They’ll find us, don’t you want a place with more excitement? This is hardly your dream environment. No opera here..  
He wanted to say it all.

But he didn’t. 

Maybe because if he addresses the situation, then maybe it will change. And he’s content for it to stay just how it is. It might not be Hannibal’s dream ‘habitat’, but it’s certainly Will’s. He wonders if that’s why Hannibal chose this place.  
For once in Will’s life, it’s quiet outside.  
And inside.  
Only the sound of birds and wind and the fire crackling, and of course Hannibal’s classical music.

They talk, sometimes. But mostly, they simply be. 

Hannibal reads, and draws, and writes in a language Will can’t decipher. He plays the harpsichord in the corner, and he cooks beautiful food with the limited supplies that they have. They take turns to travel to the nearest store once a fortnight, which is actually very far away. And Will is always overly cautious about a ‘disguise’.

Will goes for long walks in the surrounding forests- takes flask of hot tea and wraps himself up warm so he can simply sit by the river and watch. And sometimes fish.  
Under the protection of the trees, there is less snow and thus grass goes vibrantly, along with moss and wild flowers and mushrooms. It’s beautiful. And when Will sits quietly enough and waits, he sees rabbits and mice and owls. He’s even seen deer- when he goes out extra early. It’s peaceful and calm, and Hannibal always has a big mug of hot chocolate ready for him when he gets back.  
It still makes Will giggle a little when he sees Hannibal wearing fluffy socks and jumpers, it’s cold here and they have to wear big warm clothes. It’s always a shock to Will’s system when he sees Hannibal dressed so casually and cosily. 

Hannibal seems happy here. Which Will finds hard to believe. He can’t help but think Hannibal must hate it, surely he wants to be off in some city with rude people ripe for the plucking.. But he does seem happy. Does he? More things Will wants to ask.  
Are you angry at me? Why haven’t you asked me why I took us over the edge of a cliff? And why when the waves washed us up, I stayed with you instead of running back to Jack? Why I helped Chiyoh drag you onto the shore and into the van that she had apparently showed up in out of nowhere. Why I helped her nurse you back to health before you were strong enough for her to leave again? Why was she there in the first place, will she always be watching you?  
Will constantly feels the questions perched on his tongue, waiting to spill out. 

Instead, he comments on the raging storm outside. 

It’s strange to think about when they first got here. Chiyoh had kept looking at Will like she wanted to throw him off of a cliff all over again.  
And Hannibal was.. Will had never seen him like that. He was seriously hurt, and out of it on painkillers- provided by Chiyoh. Will wants to know how she had suddenly appeared on the beach, with supplies and a vehicle to get the hell out of there. Was she always watching Hannibal? Would she ever let him go? Maybe she’d just seen the news about him escaping and knew about his secret hide-out home. Decided to go and watch as a precaution, and had been greeted with the sight of him and Will teetering on the edge of life, and eventually sliding off. 

She didn’t ask any questions, she didn’t speak at all to start with. Will didn’t ask any questions either, only helped to drag Hannibal into the car while desperately trying to ignore his own pain- Hannibal was much worse off than him. 

For those first couple of days, Hannibal had only muttered in Lithuanian. Apparently forgetting how to speak English, or simply feeling he had no need for the language. Chiyoh spoke Lithuanian with him and Will didn’t say much.  
Will was sure he heard the name ‘Mischa’ a few times. Hannibal was delirious, and Chiyoh had looked at him with daggers and told Will that he was asking for her. Looking for her. It was safe to say that Chiyoh hated Will at that time. After all, he had done this. He felt a daily stab of guilt every time he laid eyes on Hannibal.

He helped Chiyoh as much as she would allow, heating up food and hot beverages, cleaning Hannibal’s wound sometimes. Although, seeing Will seemed to confuse Hannibal, so she didn’t let him do that often.

Hannibal was strong and after a week he seemed to be healing properly. He stopped muttering in Lithuanian and asking for Mischa, he spoke in English and gained some colour back in his cheeks. He ate and drank more, and seemed to suddenly realise that Will was there with them.  
Will had been cautious around Hannibal, wondering if he would be as hostile as Chiyoh. But he wasn’t. The first time Hannibal spoke to him he simply said, “Hello, Will.” With a strange smile on his face. Will had smiled back sheepishly and commented on how much better he seemed.  
And things had gone from there.  
They never really spoke about that night on the cliff, or why it happened. But Will had a feeling that Hannibal understood. 

=================================

Months later, and the storm that has apparently been present since they first got there and has showed no signs of relenting, begins to progress even further while Hannibal and Will are sleeping, only a wall separating them and their bedrooms.  
The bitter, merciless cold creeps in through all the cracks in the cabin, making Will shiver in his bed and pull his blankets up around his neck.  
At some point in the night, Hannibal got up to light the fire - clearly affected by the cold too. 

When morning comes, the sun is nowhere to be seen, hiding from the cold behind an array of dense clouds.  
Their previous plans of going shopping squandered for the time being, the mounting pile of snow surrounding their cabin determined to prevent them from going outside. 

Will sighed as he looked out of the window as best as he could, “I don’t think I’ve ever been snowed in this bad before.” He said with a hint of worry. Although really, what was there to worry about? If anything it made him feel even safer, a great barrier of snow to keep the outside out. To stop them from being found. 

The snow surrounding the cabin was acting like a refrigerator, and they needed more heat.  
Luckily they had enough fire wood in the garage to last a decade, Will was always ‘ott’ about it - not so ott now huh?  
And apparently Hannibal was a bit of a food hoarder so they weren’t short on food supplies. 

Hannibal made the fire up bigger while Will went and had a hot bath, and when he came out -wearing the fluffiest socks Hannibal had ever seen in his life- he was handed a steaming bowl of soup to enjoy as they sat in a comfortable silence by the fire.

Will thought about asking some of his questions.

Not yet. 

=================================

“The light on my bedroom ceiling is faulty.” Will says casually the next afternoon - tool box in hand. Hannibal briefly thinks that the box is unnecessary, but Will is clearly looking for something to do and so he says nothing, masking his amusement.  
And so off Will goes to fix the light, leaving Hannibal in the living room nursing a hot bowl of soothing stew.

In the next room, Will makes the mistake of standing on his bed to reach the light- which he knows is really probably just in need of a new bulb. It keeps flickering and it’s incredibly annoying, but most likely not something that requires more than that. Boredom is really setting in now that he can’t go out for his daily walks, and what would usually be a simple case of changing it has turned into an exciting DIY job...  
He regrets the decision to stand on his bed in order to reach immediately- should have used the step ladder.  
With Will’s weight not spread out evenly, and all of it being pressed into one spot of the bed, he hears a creak and a snap as the wooden slats gave way beneath his feet.  
Instinctively, he quickly moves his leg and puts his weight in another spot on the bed-a curse leaving his mouth, which only serves to break another slat more near to the centre.

Leaving him with a broken bed, and a broken light, and a bit of a sore ego. 

Hannibal heard the sound of something breaking but said nothing as Will came back into the living room, looking defeated.

“Fixed?” He said with the slightest hint of amusement.

“No.” Will replied flatly.  
“I broke my bed.” he continued, huffing as he sat down.

“Too much action, perhaps.” Hannibal muttered with a smirk.

Will rolled his eyes, “I can’t get a new one, we’re snowed in. God I’m gonna have to sleep on the sofa.” Will said as he looked at the old thing. Fairly small and not the most comfortable of things.

“You’ll freeze if you sleep there, Will.” Hannibal said, without giving any kind of alternative.  
Then he rose, strode to a nearby cupboard, pulled out a step ladder, and placed it next to Will.  
“This should help you reach the light.” he said calmly.  
And then went to do the dishes. 

Will fixed the light. Or rather, just changed the bulb- Cursing at his bed as he did.  
Hannibal made him a hot cup of tea and handed it to him when Will emerged from his bedroom, placing the supplies back in the cupboard. 

“I’ll make the fire bigger tonight,” Hannibal said, “we’ll make it warmer in here.” He continued, gesturing around the living room.  
“We can make you hot water bottles too.”.

“Thank you, I hope the snow clears soon, my back’s gonna hate me for this.” Will said rather defeated.

Hannibal chuckled lightly. Then he paused, thinking. Finally he spoke.   
“Will, although I am aware that you are more than likely to decline, I feel it necessary to offer an alternative.” He pauses briefly again, before straightening and observing Will as he speaks.  
“We are good friends, Will. close friends. and I have no objections to you sharing my bed until we can get you a new one. Of course, if for any reason this makes you uncomfortable, there is no pressure to accept. However, the offer is there.” 

Will’s first thought was one of warmth, Hannibal’s gesture of kindness and friendship soothing the atmosphere.

His next thought was embarrassment.

Not only was it arguably a little unusual to share a bed with your friend, Will was prone to nightmares and night sweats. He’d most likely end up kicking Hannibal, waking him up while he has nightmares, and ruining his sheets.  
“The offer is tempting, but I’m not the best person to sleep beside.” Will joked.

When Hannibal looked slightly confused, Will explained with one word - ‘nightmares’ he said with a shrug.

“I thought your nightmares were less frequent since our time here together.”

“They are, definitely. I hardly have them at all, actually. But it still worries me that if I sleep next to someone they could suddenly come back and it’s- well it’s embarrassing.” He chuckled to soften the blow of his clear shame.

Hannibal looked a little sympathetic.  
“Will, I must insist that you are never embarrassed by the fact that you have a beautifully imaginative mind that sometimes works against you. Your gift is one that can be uncomfortable, but it is a gift nonetheless.”

“I’ll be sure to remind you of that when I kick you in your sleep.” Will replied with a laugh. 

Hannibal wanted to ask if that meant he would indeed share his bed with him. But for some reason he sensed that Will didn’t want to ‘solidify’ or confirm anything.  
To say ‘yes Hannibal, I will share your bed’ was too much.  
But perhaps to just both silently agree held less pressure? 

He had a feeling Will would lay beside him that night.  
It filled him with an unusual feeling. One that he can’t explain. Or would rather not. 

================================

It was almost midnight and Hannibal was still alone in his bed. He was sure Will was going to join him, but it was starting to seem unlikely. He had done his best to ensure that the living room was warm enough for Will, and the sofa was as comfortable as possible, but he still felt somewhat guilty about the fact that he was in a cosy bed and Will wasn’t. It was a particularly cold night, and Hannibal wished Will would just put aside any pride and join him. They could both use the body heat. 

It was thirty five minutes past midnight when Hannibal heard his bedroom door open and looked up to see Will wrapped in three blankets and looking a bit defeated. “I think I’m going to have to take you up on that offer.” He said, almost shyly. Hannibal smiled softly and lifted the duvet, inviting Will in.

Will slowly waddled over, his movement restricted from the amount of blankets he had wrapped around himself in order to keep warm, and practically fell into the bed- landing close to Hannibal. Hannibal chuckled and told Will to unwrap himself, they can both share the blankets and just put them on top of the duvet for extra warmth. Will did that and then nestled himself under the duvet, only his curls and slightly red face peaking out.

Hannibal was wearing some loose and rather thin pyjamas, and Will was wearing his usual t-shirt and boxers for bed. Despite being cold, he hated wearing more than that to sleep, it made him feel restricted and uncomfortable. He’d rather wrap more blankets around him than put pyjamas on.

He could feel Hannibal’s body heat next to him, it was radiating from him. His bed also smelt great, which was oddly comforting. It smelt of Hannibal, and it wrapped around Will and made him sigh contently.  
Hannibal’s leg had found itself pressed against Will’s, their thighs squished together as they lay side by side. But even so, he said quietly and far too casually into the night air, “Would you mind if I lay a little closer to you? For body heat, of course.”  
Will was so comfortable and content in the large and cosy bed, that he was already drifting off. He simply murmured, ‘mm’ and hoped Hannibal understood that it was permission for him to do just that.

Apparently Hannibal did understand, he shuffled closer and pressed his body up to Will.  
Will shuffled too, lying on his side with his back to Hannibal so that when he moved closer, Hannibal’s chest was pressed firmly against his back and his body was curved securely against Will’s. Will was usually the big spoon, it was nice to feel the firm warmth all around him for a change.

Hannibal snaked an arm around Will’s waist and held him close, not being able to resist burying his nose into the curls at the bottom of Will’s neck and inhaling his scent. He smelled divine, and it made Hannibal hum with satisfaction and squeeze Will close to him.  
Will made no move to protest, too close to sleep to really register that Hannibal was smelling him, he simply curled up and enjoyed Hannibal’s warmth against him. 

Will didn’t have nightmares that night. In fact, the pair of them slept so well next to each other, they didn’t wake until late morning the next day. Hannibal wasn’t really a morning person but he usually didn’t stay in bed after nine o clock, but it was quarter past ten when Will began to stir next to him and Hannibal woke from the most peaceful sleep of his life.

Hannibal yawned and stretched, his legs draping over Will’s as he did. It made Will wake up and begin his own morning stretch. For a second, in their sleepy state, they didn’t fully register that their limbs were still entangled and they were wrapping themselves around each other again- craving the warmth and comfort. Will yawned and nuzzled his face into Hannibal’s neck, the action making Hannibal smile and wrap his arms tightly around him while he buried his nose into Will’s soft curls and inhaled his scent.

They both knew that this level of intimacy was beyond anything they’d ever done before, but they could blame it on still being half asleep. At least, Will could. Hannibal had no shame in what they were doing. 

He felt a stirring in his stomach as Will’s lips brushed over his neck while he continued to nuzzle into him. Will’s hand had found its way up Hannibal’s pyjama top, running his fingers through the soft chest hair there. Hannibal wondered if Will was aware of what he was doing, or if he truly was still not properly awake and was simply letting his hands seek out warmth and skin to skin contact.  
Hannibal hummed contently and silently hoped his morning stiffness would quickly subside, he didn’t want to scare Will off.  
Either Will didn’t notice or he didn’t mind, he pressed his own groin firmly against Hannibal’s in an attempt to hold him and his warmth closer, and sighed sleepily.  
Hannibal ridiculously had to fight the urge to blush, but Will didn’t exactly feel soft either - which made him relax into the embrace. It was when Hannibal’s hips threatened to grind against Will of their own accord that Hannibal decided it was probably best to do something.

“Will, I’m going to make us some coffee, you’ll have to let go off me for a second.” Hannibal teased gently, pulling himself free from Will’s grasp. Will briefly made a displeased sound and scrunched his eyes firmly shut, burying his face into the pillows and duvet, “Mm-you’re warm.” He said groggily while he tried to pull Hannibal back towards him.

Hannibal knew that Will would never be this bold and openly affectionate if he didn’t have the excuse of being half asleep and simply wanting warmth in his sleepy state. It made Hannibal chuckle and stroke Will’s curls briefly. “I’ll be back in a minute.”  
Will just groaned and wrapped the duvet around himself. 

When Hannibal returned about five minutes later, the bed was empty. Apparently the smell of coffee brewing had woken Will up fully and he had made the decision to avoid Hannibal’s teasing about how affectionate he had been in his sleep.

Really, Will knew Hannibal wouldn’t say anything. But the wave of embarrassment he felt at how needy for Hannibal’s warmth he had been sent Will shuffling into the shower to try and ignore how nice it had felt to be held by the older man. 

Hannibal heard the shower running, and briefly scolded himself for getting up to make coffee. He should have savoured the moment more. Will would go back to acting casual and friendly, deny Hannibal intimacy. 

Luckily the snow was still piled up outside, although the sun had made itself known in the sky. 

The snow will die down soon, and Will shall rush to get a new bed for his own room, but maybe Hannibal will have the chance to have Will share his bed for one more night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Content Warnings - contains some slight gore / descriptions of Hannibal and Will tricking someone and murdering them. And then putting them on display.  
> There is still quite a bit of fluff in this though :)

The snow cleared within a few days, and Will was able to acquire a new bed, and Hannibal was surprised to find himself a little disappointed. He found that he liked sharing his bed with Will for those few nights. The extra body heat was, of course, more than welcome in the cold conditions. But there was something more to it. Something special about being granted access to a new side of Will. 

Blanketed by the stillness of the night, Will seemed to relax next to Hannibal. Will found it far too awkward to speak while they were lying next to each other so they would never chat, but as he drifted off his expression would become softer. His body relaxed and content. He always shuffled closer in his sleep, and he always allowed Hannibal to drape an arm over him in the morning while he stroked his curls.

Will, of course, told himself that he only shuffled closer in the night for warmth, and he only let Hannibal hold him in the mornings because he was still half asleep and simply didn’t notice, or was still too sleepy to bother telling him to get off.

He never admitted that the truth was, it just felt really nice. There was no hidden meaning or secret desire there, it simply felt nice to be held, and have his hair stroked, and feel the warmth of another human being.

Every morning, Hannibal would get up before Will, and Will would always be out of the bed and in the shower by the time he came back into the room. It was clear that he didn’t want to discuss the fact that they were sharing a bed until he could get a new one. He didn’t want to discuss the fact that it was actually quite nice.  
Hannibal never put any pressure on the situation, never made it seem like anything more than what it was.  
Although, he did seem to enjoy it more than Will. It made Will think of the fact that Hannibal had been locked away for years with no physical intimacy, no warmth. The only time anyone went near him it was probably to put him in a straight jacket or strap a mask to his face. Perhaps that’s why if Will got too hot in his sleep and tried to roll to the other side of the bed, Hannibal would grumble and hold him tightly. 

They had only shared a bed for three nights, as Will had rushed to get a new one for his own room as soon as the snow died down. Hannibal had suggested waiting another day, for the snow to really clear and the roads to be safer. But Will was adamant that it was perfectly safe and he wouldn’t be long. And so off he went with the old pickup truck they had out back, and later that day he was back in his own room assembling his new double bed. 

Hannibal wouldn’t say that he was disappointed, but he had to admit that it had been nice while it lasted. The only time Will showed Hannibal his relaxed and cosy side was the mornings when they would slowly wake up together. Without those times, Hannibal didn’t get to see that side anymore. Things went back to normal. Which wasn’t exactly a bad thing, but Hannibal’s bedroom felt so much cooler now. 

Will was finally able to continue his daily walks, leaving late morning and not returning until late afternoon. And Hannibal stayed home and composed music, added more drawings to his growing collection, and cooked fancy meals for Will when he returned. 

“I’m curious as to why you are out walking so much. What fascinating things keep drawing you back into the forest?” Hannibal asked one evening when they were sitting down to eat.

Will shrugged, “There’s just not a lot to do here, I’ve gotta entertain myself some way.” He replied casually.

“Perhaps we should move on to somewhere with more entertainment.”

Will looked up and found a curious look on Hannibal’s face. Was he serious? Will supposed he should have seen this coming. They couldn’t stay here forever, Hannibal would want to go somewhere they could live a more exciting life. 

Where they could get a different kind of meat for their meals..

They had been here for about three and a half months now - healing, resting, simply enjoying some peace. Some freedom. 

“An environment like this wouldn’t usually be my desired place for residence. However, Chiyoh knew that I needed somewhere remote and calm to heal and recover undisturbed. So she chose to bring us here for now. We have been here for a few months and we are both back to good health. I have plenty of fake identification and finances, aswell as properties in many different countries. I was hoping to move to somewhere with more life.” Hannibal explained, a glint in his eyes at that last part. 

Will shuffled in his seat.  
“Where would we go?” He asked quietly. 

“Anywhere you like.” Hannibal said simply. 

“Can I think about it?” 

“Of course.” Hannibal said with a sincere look.

They ate in silence for a while, and Will thought about all the things they could do if they moved to a city. Life would certainly be more interesting. Life would turn dark and dangerous again, be filled with blood and glory and victory. So different to what they have now. Would that be such a bad thing? Will chose to be with Hannibal because he provided him with the opportunity to indulge in those things. Together. Just like with the dragon. Will felt his fingers twitch at the memory, and for a second he felt the warmth of blood on his hands. 

Hannibal sat and thought too. He wanted to whisk Will off to some glorious and iconic city, explore different cultures and arts, and explore Will. He wanted to watch him as he killed and learn his technique, his design. Hannibal knew that rudeness was certainly not adequate motive for Will. So perhaps he would compromise for him. They could hunt those that the police could not catch, those who had not yet been discovered. Will would be able to continue his detective work, simply with a different end. He would not put them in handcuffs and send them to a life of imprisonment - he and Hannibal would deliver a much more interesting fate. 

They both sat with their thoughts until they had finished eating, which was when Hannibal broke the silence. “You should know that I intend to travel to the nearest city at the weekend. It’s about a three hour drive but there is an opera house there and I would like to attend. I too, am struggling to find entertainment here.” Hannibal said with a grin. “I would love if you would come with me.” 

Will did go with him. He didn’t think he had any suits here but apparently Hannibal had made sure that they both had every kind of clothing they could possibly need, all the perfect sizes. 

Will had to admit that it was quite sweet to see Hannibal excited about it. 

When they arrived Hannibal guided Will through the place with a hand pressed gently on the small of his back, showing him things and explaining them as they went. He seemed bright and happy, and it put Will in a good mood too.  
At one point Hannibal got chatting to someone, using a fake name to introduce himself, and they asked about his ‘lovely partner’.. which only made Will roll his eyes and then shove at Hannibal’s arm when he simply smirked at him in a teasing way. 

Will was surprised to find that they were actually having a great night. He would never usually like places like this but Hannibal kept conversations light and humorous and handed him expensive champagne while they took in the wonderful architecture and decor. It really was a beautiful place, and everyone that they spoke to, despite being too rich for their own good, did actually seem very nice. 

Almost everyone.

Later in the evening Will spotted a woman wearing real animal fur. At first he thought it must be fake, until he heard the owner of the appalling coat bragging about it’s origin. He also heard her bragging about all of the exotic animals she has stuffed and on display. He watched her and listened with distaste as she spoke about animals like they are objects, little ornaments to be displayed and collected. Hannibal noticed Will watching.  
She was also wearing an ivory necklace around her neck.  
She’s awful. Will decides in that moment that she is just.. awful.  
Rich and thoughtless. Doesn’t care about anyone but herself. And Will immediately despises her.  
Hannibal notices Will seething as he overhears this woman.  
Hannibal is also displeased with her. Animals are innocent, unlike human beings, and he despises cruelty against them. 

Will does his best to ignore her, but as she strolls past him with her snooty nose in the air, she bumps into him.  
And Will just can’t hold back. 

“Nice coat.” he says with disgust and very obvious sarcasm.

She simply smirks at him, briefly looks him up and down.  
“Are you an animal lover too?” She says with feigned politeness.

“People who love animals don’t wear them.” Will bites back bitterly.

She smirks again.  
“Do you have pets?”

She says ‘pets’ like it’s a silly word, like animals shouldn’t be pets - only collectibles.

“I’ve rescued a lot of dogs.” Will says proudly, a scowl still on his face as she listens to his answer.  
She makes a face as though she’d tasted something unpleasant.

“Rescues? I only entertain pure-breds, not flea ridden mutts.” And then she laughs before turning to leave, clearly not interested in talking to Will anymore. 

Will feels his hand twitch with the urge to strike her. What a foul woman. 

Will seethes as he watches her leave.  
“I want to go home.” he says through clenched teeth as Hannibal comes up beside him and puts a warm hand on his shoulder. It’s difficult to say whether it’s an attempt to calm him down and almost ‘hold him back’ or ease his distress with a comforting touch.  
Hannibal seems to consider things for a moment. 

“We have a matter to attend to first.” He says cooly with a devilish look as his eyes track where she goes. 

Will wants to say that he resisted, that he said they shouldn’t do it. Not here. Not tonight. Not her. But he didn’t . He didn’t protest one bit.

He simply followed Hannibal as he silently stalked after the woman when she left all by herself. 

They stepped outside into the cool air, lingering in the shadows for a moment. They could see her, standing alone and waving a few goodbyes to the others around her that were getting in their cars. She appeared to be waiting for her own ride. 

Hannibal strode towards her first.  
“Why should a lady such as yourself have to wait for her ride?” He teased lightly, a kind smile on his face.

“Bloody incompetence is why.” She joked back. “You wouldn’t believe how much I pay my chauffeur, and yet he has the cheek to be late.” she rants. 

Will just rolls his eyes. 

“You must be freezing” Hannibal said with mock concern. “Please, allow me and my good friend here to get you home.”

Will smiles as convincingly as he can as she looks over at him with a little scoff as she remembers their earlier encounter. 

Hannibal gestures to his new Bentley and she gives an impressed look. 

Will still laughs at the difference between the two cars they own. Hannibal’s Bentley and Will’s second hand pick up truck. But he refused to let Hannibal buy him a fancy car. 

She looks at Hannibal’s expensive car and let’s her eyes run over his handsome and dashing suit. He is the picture of politeness and pleasantness. A gentleman.

“That is so very kind of you, and I certainly don’t want to wait out here any longer. Im afraid I’m going to have to take you up on that offer.” she says with a laugh as she begins to walk towards the car. 

Will wants to laugh at how easy that was.

Hannibal sneaks him a quick smirk as he opens the car’s back door for her and she slides in, wrapping that ridiculous fur around herself to keep warm. 

== It was something so unexplainable, to feel the thrill of it again. See Hannibal watching him intently as they tackled their prey down, holding her in place. It filled Will with a burst of adrenaline and power, the way she fought back, scratching and kicking -all futile attempts. He snarled and pulled and dragged, as Hannibal watched with fascination. Hannibal’s lips were parted as he panted slightly, his pupils blown as he committed every action from Will to memory. Will was magnificent like this. Angry and rage filled. Powerful. 

They ended up smothered in blood - their crisp white shirts stained with crimson. And Will looked incredible. His blue eyes contrasted so heavily with the red, his pale skin looked beautiful when painted in such a way. He looked ferocious. Like a caged animal finally set free. Hannibal just kept smiling. Enjoying every moment. But he was more focused on Will than the task at hand. That didn’t make him any less successful, but it shocked him that he was so profoundly in awe of Will that he didn’t really care about his prey beneath him.  
When Hannibal began to remove the desired meat, it was Will’s turn to watch == 

The next day she was found in a large glass case, presented like you would a stuffed animal. 

She was propped up, wearing nothing but her fur coat, and her hands were stained with blood. The ivory that she was wearing around her neck has been put into the space where her heart should be and her mouth was stuffed with gold coins.  
She was missing organs and a leg. 

Hannibal was enormously proud of Will’s display.  
And enormously proud of his suggestion that they keep the organs for themselves, but turn the leg into sausages that they can go and feed to some stray dogs. 

It was his design.

After their first hunt together in their new life, things settled down again. Hannibal seemed content and had a freezer filled with his preferred meat.  
He cooked for the pair of them, making elaborate dishes and displaying them beautifully. He always smirked happily when he sat across from Will and they dined together. Feasting on their victory.  
They remained in a content and slightly buzzing atmosphere. Hannibal seemed the happiest he had been since they got there (no surprise there) and Will felt like his actions were justified as he’d rid the earth of a foul person, so he didn’t exactly feel guilty. 

It wouldn’t be long until they payed the city another visit. Apparently there was an ongoing investigation into a murder of a young man, not far from the opera house that Hannibal and Will had attended. Hannibal could see when Will read the paper and watched the news that he was intrigued. The police were getting nowhere, but Will knew he’d probably figure out who it was if he could just go and get into the heart of it. 

One night after they had both eaten, Will went off to have a nice, long, hot shower. And when he emerged and came back into the living room to join Hannibal by the fire, he was wearing Hannibal’s dark green knitted jumper. 

It was too big for Will, hanging cosily off of his body and the sleeves coming over his knuckles. It made him look younger and.. well, quite sweet. His brown curls complimented the colour of the jumper nicely.

When he came into the room he actually smelt of Hannibal, thanks to his jumper. And it made Hannibal feel something that he couldn’t quite explain. Seeing Will wear his clothes and smelling their scents merged together. 

He smiled warmly as Will sat down beside him in one of the comfortable arm chairs and accepted the glass of whiskey that Hannibal offered to him. They both looked into the flames and the shadows flickered across their faces.  
“You’re wearing my jumper.” Hannibal said casually, after a few minutes.

Will rose his eyebrows a little as he looked down at the jumper he was wearing, “oh, really? Sorry I didn’t realise, thought it was mine.” He said casually.

“It’s no bother, it suits you.” Hannibal said, turning to look at Will again, his eyes trailing over how small Will looked in the oversized clothing. 

They sat together for a while, simply looking into the flames, feeling the warmth from the fire on their faces and the warmth from the whiskey in their bellies. 

“I’m gonna get off to bed.” Will said after a while of comfortable silence, “Goodnight Hannibal.” He said softly as he rose and began to stroll towards his bedroom. 

“Goodnight, Will.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for scars and mentions of cutting scars out :3

Hannibal found himself watching Will a lot.

For a while he didn’t even realise he was doing it. But he soon became aware of the fact that he could glance across the room to see what Will was doing, and then the next time he looked at the clock, half an hour had passed. 

There wasn’t anything particularly interesting about Will’s behaviour in the house. He would spend some time reading, or taking apart some random device just so he could put it back together again, or just sitting and watching the birds from his chair by the window. 

Hannibal should probably take a step back and realise that he is watching a man watch birds. 

He doesn’t. 

Will actually spent a lot of time outside, going for long walks into the surrounding forests and finding the little stream to follow. Sometimes he tried to fish, though the stream wasn’t very big so they were smaller than ones he’d caught previously. Hannibal always offered to make him some food to take with him, seeing as he was usually gone for hours, but Will never accepted. 

It was something Will would do often - leave the house bright and early to go for walks and just be out in nature.

And every time he left, Hannibal feared he would not come back. 

He did come back, every time. And deep down Hannibal knew that he would. But the wait was torturous.

Hannibal knew he was probably being overly cautious and irrational, but he couldn’t help it. He had thought about asking Will if he could accompany him, figured he could sit under the shade of a tree and draw while Will waded into the little streams. But he was hesitant. It felt like those times were Will’s times to be alone. Surely Will would have invited him if he wanted company. Perhaps one day Hannibal would ask.

Until then, he would wait at home for him. Looking out of the window at that one spot between two trees where Will would emerge from. Hannibal would stare at it. Waiting. Sometimes for hours. Wondering if he would see Will again. And then finally Will’s curls would peak through the trees, with his lumberjack clothes and slow walk - obviously tired after being out all day. And Hannibal couldn’t help the wave of relief that washed over him. 

Hannibal sometimes pretended he was deep into a book when Will came in, far too focused to even notice that he had been gone.  
It’s not that he was embarrassed by his fear of Will leaving, he just.. well Will might not understand. 

So yes, Will usually preferred to be out of the house and in the surrounding wilderness, but he did spend a lot of time inside too.  
This is when Hannibal got to watch him.  
Will’s indoor activities were normal and mundane, not particularly entertaining, yet Hannibal would watch him anyway. 

He would watch the way Will’s face would show subtle reactions to whatever he was reading, watch as his brow furrowed when he couldn’t figure out where a certain part went during his adventures in fixing things- and then his subtle look of pride when he got it. He’d watch how the sun would pour through the window and make Will’s eyes shine and his skin look golden as it bathed him. 

If Will ever noticed, he didn’t say anything. 

=================================

One beautifully sunny afternoon, Will was yet again sat in his cosy armchair by the window and looking out at the birds that were fluttering around the feeders - the ones that were deliberately placed by the window for this exact reason. 

It wasn’t something that Will used to do- bird watch. But there is something incredibly therapeutic about watching their wings flutter and how they hop around on their little legs. There is so much variety in the shapes and sizes and colours, and the way they fly makes him think of freedom. He finds it interesting now. 

Sometimes he notices Hannibal watching them too. 

When Hannibal entered the room, after he had left the dinner to cook for a while, he smiled at the familiar sight and then took a seat on the armchair on the opposite side of the room -facing Will but positioned slightly back from him so that Will would have to turn his head slightly to see Hannibal but Hannibal could see him with no difficulty. He did this purposely, of course, so that Will would not notice his gaze. 

Unfortunately for Hannibal, he had become transfixed with the way that every time Will tilted his head a certain way to get a better view of the birds perched higher up, the sun would make the silver scars on his face seem as though they were shining.

With the sun shining against them, they stood out wonderfully. They looked beautiful in the yellow light. 

Hannibal found himself thinking about what Will’s other scar would look like with the sun shining on it.

The important one. Hannibal’s scar. Right across his torso. 

This train of thought was unfortunate because it meant Hannibal absolutely was not concentrating on the glass of red wine in his hand, and it meant that as he went to take a sip -his eyes still on Will- he completely missed his mouth and poured half of the glass over himself. 

Hannibal gasped as the liquid swayed through the air before making contact and soaking through his white shirt, creating the wonderful appearance of something like blood on snow. 

The sound Hannibal made paired with the sound of the wine sloshing out of the glass, made Will turn to Hannibal. And he was certainly confused to see Hannibal sat with an expression of inconvenience and a ridiculous amount of wine all over him. 

Will huffed a laugh. Of course he did. But he couldn’t help frowning a little at the thought of such an expensive shirt being stained. Thankfully it hadn’t hit the carpet, just Hannibal. 

“Missed your mouth?” Will said with a smirk as he stood up to fetch Hannibal a towel, gesturing for Hannibal to stay sat so he doesn’t drip wine everywhere. 

“I’ll get you a towel, just to wrap around yourself while you walk to the bathroom to get cleaned up.” Will explained, again thinking of the carpet. 

As Will left the room, Hannibal stood and pulled the soaked item of clothing over his head - not being able to bear anymore the way the cold and wet material was dragging against his nipples and creating an uncomfortable friction. 

He used the wet shirt to pat some of the red wine out of his chest hair, lest it drip. 

He was facing away from the door, so when Will came back into the room -towel in hand- he saw Hannibal’s shirtless back. 

Will stilled at the doorway when his eyes landed on the Verger branding. He hadn’t really seen it before.

Hannibal heard him enter and looked over his shoulder, and of course he noticed where Will was looking. He faced away again, his back still to Will. 

“It’s rude to stare.” Hannibal said after a few seconds of Will still not moving, but there was no tension or hostility.

“Sorry.” Will stuttered, taking a few steps into the room as Hannibal turned around to face him. 

Hannibal’s eyes followed him as Will came to stand just in front of him, still holding the towel.  
He looked like he wanted to say something. Hannibal gave him a knowing look, a slight tilt of the head as if to say, “go on..”. 

Will hesitated before he spoke.  
“Can I- can I look at it? Up close, I mean.” Will asked slowly. He avoided eye contact, like he had said something bad. 

Hannibal didn’t say anything for a second and Will thought he might have upset him, going by the way that Hannibal had just gone still and was looking at him with an unreadable expression.

But a few seconds later he tilts his head in a very subtle, short nod, and turns around so Will can see - with his hands calmly at his sides. 

In all honesty it was captivating. Will had, of course, never seen a human with a brand before. It was surprisingly not an ugly thing. Of course, the flesh was damaged and scarred but, it was also symmetrical and well designed. 

If only the name that represented that horrendous man wasn’t there. The brand itself didn’t necessarily look bad, it was what it stood for that was the problem. Mason’s mark. His way to humiliate and degrade Hannibal. That’s what made it almost unbearable to have it on his skin. 

Hannibal stood patiently, letting Will look.  
Will got distracted at one point, watching Hannibal’s shoulders rise and fall ever so slightly with the steady rhythm of his breathing.  
But then he felt the urge to reach out and touch the scar, to see what the raised skin would feel like under his fingers tips. And that snapped him out of it. 

“Can I touch it?” Will said quietly. 

The rise and fall of Hannibal’s shoulders stilled. 

He’s holding his breath, Will registers. 

“Yes.” Hannibal replied, nothing more than that. 

Will’s fingers hesitantly hovered over it for a second, and then he slowly let his fingertips brush over the bumps of scarring, feather-like touches to start with.

He traced the whole thing with his finger tips, gliding over every line smoothly, and then finally spread a warm palm over the whole thing. 

The rise and fall of Hannibal’s shoulders resumed.

He also has his eyes closed, not that Will could see. 

“It’s conveniently placed,” Hannibal said quietly and unexpectedly, “I can only see it through the use of mirrors. It takes away more control, and thus adds more humiliation.”  
His voice sounded.. explanatory, almost clinical. Like he’s just simply describing the facts, why Mason chose to put it where he did. But Will can hear beyond that. There’s... frustration. 

“I know it’s there,” he continued, “A branding that others can see. But not me. He intended for me to have no power over what he has done, I can’t even touch it. Because of where it is, you understand. Can’t even remove it myself.”

The thought of Hannibal cutting the scarring out of his skin makes Will grimace, especially because it’s very clear that Hannibal would actually do it, if only he could reach. 

As Will listened to Hannibal, he felt immense sadness for him. For someone like him, the torment that the mark must bring is surely unbearable.  
Will wanted to say something, knows he should say something. Offer just a little bit of comfort, even if Hannibal doesn’t need it. It’s just the right thing to do. But he can’t think of any words. 

He finds himself wanting to lean down and place a gentle kiss on to the scar. Thinks it might be the only thing he can do, without any words to offer. 

But he doesn’t. Can’t bring himself to face whatever Hannibal’s reaction might be. 

He’s shocked with himself for the intrusive thought though, shocked by how strong the urge is.  
Instead he tenderly runs a hand over the mark, hoping Hannibal can feel whatever it is that words can’t say. 

Then he takes a steps back

Hannibal turned around and Will was surprised to see that his eyes looked watery.  
“Are you okay?” He asked, shocked more than anything. 

“I’m just remembering how much it killed my back when I carried you out of there.” Hannibal says with a feigned casual tone, and then a smile breaks across his face and Will realises he is trying to be funny in order to mask his emotions. 

It makes Will’s heart ache a little. 

He offers a small laugh, if it will make Hannibal feel better. 

“You should go shower, I’ll make sure the dinner isn’t burning.” Will says with a glance towards the wonderful smell coming from the kitchen.

Hannibal looks intently at Will, and it’s impossible to know what he’s thinking, but eventually he just smiles softly and takes the towel out of Will’s hand - his fingers lightly brushing against his as he does - and casually strolls out of the room, towards the bathroom. 

Will hears the shower start a few minutes later. 

=================================


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Alba, who always gives me so much love and motivation to write this fic, ily and this chapter is for you❤️

While Hannibal goes about his usual morning routine in the kitchen, making light and fluffy scrambled eggs and spreading the wonderful smell of freshly brewed coffee through the air, he becomes aware of the fact that Will is a little late. He pours the coffee into two mugs while he thinks - watching the steaming river glide around the mug as it flows, before filling up and settling. Will has usually wandered sleepily into the kitchen by now, not that Hannibal keeps track of the exact moment that he joins him in the mornings. 

As if on cue, Will arrives just as Hannibal begins to ponder his lateness.  
He strolls into the kitchen in his pyjamas, his hair a mess of wild curls and a yawn spreading across his face. 

He greets Hannibal casually, and can’t help but compare their morning appearances - Hannibal’s expensive and very soft looking robe, fluffy bed hair still neatly brushed down, refusing to look out of place, the smell of his shower gel lingering on his skin.  
Will, on the other hand, hasn’t had time to shower yet. He usually does, before he comes into the kitchen for breakfast he’s always freshly showered. But his routine was a little.. interrupted.. today.  
And he couldn’t resist the smell of Hannibal’s cooking wafting through the house, along with the smell of fresh coffee.  
So he decided he’d quickly eat first, shower after.

Will stretches before he sits, and then gratefully accepts the coffee that Hannibal hands him. It smells divine, and the warmth of the mug seeping into his hands immediately makes him feel relaxed.  
He watches the steam rise from the mug and dance through the air, his eyes following it’s path for a while. 

Hannibal leans down slightly as he places the plate of eggs on the table, in front of Will. 

Hannibal doesn’t mean to smell him. He really doesn’t. But he simply can’t miss the subtle smell as he hovers over him. It catches his nose’s attention, it’s hardly his fault.  
Hints of ammonia, chlorine, almost salty..

Hannibal immediately knows what it is. 

Perhaps that it why Will was a little late to come out of his room for breakfast this morning.

Hannibal’s lip lifts, the smallest trace of a smirk, as he sniffs the air around Will one last time, and then moves away. 

Will doesn’t notice. 

As Hannibal sits opposite Will to eat, he observes his casual and innocent behaviour, simply a little late out for breakfast, right? Just slept in a little. 

Hannibal hides a smirk. 

The sound of cutlery clicking lightly against their plates and the bright classical music playing lulls them into a calm and relaxed morning, and they finish their breakfast in relative silence. 

After a while, Hannibal speaks. 

“I would like to go to the city tonight, there is a restaurant there that I am very eager to try. I would very much like for you to accompany me.” 

Will briefly looks up from the paper that he had found on the table after finishing his breakfast and coffee, “Yea that sounds nice actually. On a scale of 1-10, how fancy?” He says with a hint of sarcasm.  
Teasing. 

Hannibal chuckles lightly, “Hmm, perhaps a 7.” 

Will rolls his eyes in mock despair.

Hannibal chuckles again. 

“I’m gonna go have a shower.” Will says after the light teasing goes back and forth for a while. 

“Yes I noticed you hadn’t been in yet, usually you are already showered before breakfast.” Hannibal observes, casually but with a slight questioning tone. 

Will swears he can feel his ears turn pink as he notices how Hannibal tries and fails to conceal a smirk.  
He hopes Hannibal hadn’t heard, god how mortifying. But surely he hadn’t, Will was deliberately quiet. No, he’s just being paranoid.

“Yea I slept in a little.” He replies as casually as possible, leaving the room quickly to conceal his blush. 

Hannibal chuckles lightly and begins to gather the plates into the sink.

=================================

After lunch, when Will is preparing to iron his shirt - wanting to smooth out the creases so as to look presentable in the, no doubt, far too fancy restaurant - he is unfortunately unable to do so for lack of an iron. He supposes Hannibal has moved it somewhere, and so goes off to find him and ask for it’s whereabouts. 

He enters Hannibal’s bedroom cautiously, unsure if he should knock or not. 

He decides he should, so he pauses in the doorway and brings his knuckles down onto the door a few times to alert Hannibal of his presence. 

“In the bathroom, Will, you may come in.” 

With a quick glance around Hannibal’s handsome bedroom (that smells very much of him) and a slight blush on his cheeks as he looks at the bed and recalls the time when they had to share it, he quickly heads over to the en suite. 

Again, Will enters cautiously. 

It smells of shower gel and shaving cream. 

Will finds Hannibal sat up in front of the mirror, wearing only a thin white vest top and a small white towel over his shoulder. He doesn’t look up as he drags a straight razor smoothly over his cheek and jaw, taking with it a small foam stream and leaving behind a perfectly straight track of exposed, smooth skin. 

It’s quite visually pleasing to watch, and Will has to snap himself out of the little trance he feels as he watches the motion a few more times.  
If Hannibal is bothered by Will simply standing in the doorway and saying nothing as he watches him shave, he doesn’t show it. He simply carries on. 

After a few moments Will finally speaks,  
“I just came to ask where the iron is.” He says rather quietly as he watches the way the muscles in Hannibal’s arm move when he lifts it to once again glide the razor over his face. 

“In the cupboard by the washing machine.” Hannibal replies lightly, letting his eyes meet Will’s in the mirror for a second before he continues his task, almost done now.

Will remains in the doorway and Hannibal has to conceal a smirk.

“I’ve never used one of those before.” Will says thoughtfully, gesturing to the straight razor. 

Hannibal tilts his head a little, a small quirk of his lips as he considers this. Then he puts the razor down, pats his face with a warm towel to clean and soothe his clean shaven skin, and then applies some very soft looking lotion.  
With one last look in the mirror at the finished product, followed by a satisfied smile, he rises and faces Will, “Would you like to?” 

He gestures to the seat, an offering. 

Will hesitates. “I’d probably cut myself, I haven’t used one before and my hand isn’t the steadiest.”

“It is true that the straight razor can require some practice, though many favour the better results it yields, a much smoother and cleaner shave.” 

Hannibal seems to look intently at Will as he speaks,  
“I can teach you to how to use it, if you’d like.” He says with a smile. 

Will hesitates again, he admires Hannibal’s skill in, apparently, all things. But his offer to essentially teach Will to shave properly makes him feel far too embarrassed to accept. 

Hannibal must sense it. 

“Perhaps another time. For now, I can do it for you.” He offers brightly, yet again gesturing to the seat. “See if you like the results and then decide later on if you’d like to use this kind of razor more often.”

“I’ll admit I’m curious, but don’t you want time to just get yourself ready? I still need to iron my shirt.” Will says as he tiptoes further into the room. 

“Nonsense, it won’t take long.” Hannibal offers politely, guiding Will into the seat. 

Will huffs a laugh, “If you insist.” 

Hannibal smirks. 

Hannibal places a folded towel over Will’s shoulder, while another one soaks in some hot water.  
He also casually works two of Will’s shirt buttons open, pushing the shirt to the side to expose Will’s neck more and avoid getting shaving cream on it. 

Hannibal then asks Will to tilt his head back a little as he squeezes the hot water out of the towel and then places the glorious warmth onto the lower half of his face. Will feels that warmth seeping into his skin and opening up his pores.  
It feels wonderful. 

He can’t decide if it’s more awkward to keep his eyes open and look up at Hannibal as he touches his face, or to close them and make it seem like he can’t bear eye contact. 

The warm towel and Hannibal’s gentle touches calm and relax Will, and he feels his eyes drift shut of their own accord anyway, so he chooses to just sit back and enjoy it. It feels rather nice, after all, it would be foolish to deny it. 

Hannibal places the towel back in the bowl and picks up the shaving brush. He rinses it and then swirls it around in the small bowl of cream. 

“This might feel a little cool in contrast to the warm towel.” He says calmly as he begins to brush the foam onto Will’s jaw, chin, cheeks, over his Adam’s apple, and down some of his throat.

Will sighs contently into the feeling of the smooth and soothing foam being worked onto his skin. 

Once the foam is applied, Hannibal rinses the razor and then tilts Will’s jaw up with his finger, bringing the razor up to sit on his face. Hannibal notices Will’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallows. His lip curls up in a small smirk, and he begins to drag the razor smoothly across Will’s stubble. 

The sound is wonderful. And Will is reminded of the asmr videos he had sometimes stumbled across while browsing the internet. Will supposes some people might find the sound to be quite harsh and scratchy, but he finds it quite satisfying. 

Hannibal’s fingers touch his face lightly here and there while he works, dragging the blade down. 

Will dares to open his eyes, just for a second, and sees a look of complete concentration on Hannibal’s face. His sharp cheek bones and harsh jaw line stand out in this light.  
Will does that for a while, studies Hannibal’s face. All the little details. Perhaps just out of the need for somewhere to look as Hannibal shaves him. 

Hannibal catches him looking at one point, he just smiles slightly and then continues. 

“How does it feel?” Hannibal asks softly, quite out of nowhere. They had been silent for a while, only the sound of razor dragging over the hairs on Will’s face. 

So Will had no time to think of a response, he simply said the first thing that came to mind.

“M’feels nice.” He replied, head resting back and eyes closed in relaxation. 

Hannibal hummed his approval, then continued.

After a while, Will opened his eyes at the soft click of the razor being put down on the bathroom counter. Hannibal met his eyes for a second, and then reached for the towel soaking in the hot water.  
He squeezed the water out, and then began to dab away any remaining shaving cream on Will’s face.  
Then he rubbed Will’s face down gently, before balancing the towel in position for a moment, allowing the warmth of it to soothe Will’s skin. 

Will couldn’t help but let out a small, content noise. 

Finally, Hannibal removed the towel and dipped his fingers into the wonderfully scented lotion. It was smooth and velvety, and he applied it to Will’s face, rubbing gentle circles of it into his skin.  
It was like having a face massage, and it felt wonderful. 

Will tried to close his eyes, but he got distracted looking at the large veins running up Hannibal’s hands and forearms.  
He looked strong, Will knew he was strong, and yet here he was delicately rubbing lotion onto Will’s face. 

Will looked up through his lashes, just once, and made eye contact with Hannibal.  
He could swear Hannibal’s fingers stuttered for a moment, before continuing their work. 

Once completed, Hannibal smiled with satisfaction and then stood up straight,  
“There, all done.” He said brightly. 

Will attempted to smile back, though he imagined he looked a little awkward. 

He brought a hand up to his face and ran it over his cheek. It felt more smooth and soft than it had ever felt before.

He looked in the mirror as he continued to touch the finished product, “Wow, it feels great,” he said as he huffed a laugh at the unbelievable difference using a straight razor can make, “Looks so much neater than usual as well.” 

Hannibal beamed behind him, a smug smirk on his face. 

=================================

Later in the evening, after a quiet and peaceful drive to the city, they arrived at the beautiful restaurant that Hannibal had chosen.  
They were greeted at the door, and not only did Will have to suppress a sarcastic remark at once again being mistaken for a couple, he also wanted to point out to Hannibal that the place was far fancier than he had led Will to believe. 

It made him thankful that he was clean shaven. And then he blushed at the memory of Hannibal shaving him. It had felt strangely intimate. 

They both took their seats in the elegant restaurant, admiring the wonderful decor. It was bright and classy, with huge chandeliers, flower displays, and large candles in intricate holders.  
There was a bright, yet soft, classical piece playing, and Will noticed Hannibal close his eyes for a moment to appreciate the wonderfully smooth melody. 

He had once again chosen a marvellous place, Will had to admit. 

Will looked appreciative too, Hannibal noted with a satisfied smile. 

Once they’d settled, a polite and very natural beauty brought over some menus and filled up their glasses with some water for now, before handing them a separate wine menu.  
She was brunette and had intense, dark brown eyes. 

Will thought she was pretty, but didn’t think into it. It was just a polite observation, nothing more than that. 

After Hannibal had educated Will for a while on the music that was playing, describing it like one might describe poetry, they both picked up and began to study the menus. 

The waitress, who was stood behind the bar, kept looking over at Will.

He hadn’t noticed.

But Hannibal had.

He eyed her subtly, read her name tag.  
‘Amelia’, it said.  
Hannibal found that he didn’t like the way she was looking. The gentleman who had shown them to their table clearly mistook them for a couple. Why hadn’t she? Or perhaps she had but simply didn’t care.

While Will had looked a little embarrassed, Hannibal was surprisingly pleased to think that people saw Will as his. But ‘Amelia’ clearly didn’t. 

Hannibal wouldn’t describe himself as a particularly possessive person, but the amount of people that had tried to come between his and Will’s connection in the past had made him slightly protective of their relationship. He didn’t want anyone to ruin it, not when it took so long to get where they are. He wanted Will to be his wonderfully cunning and deadly self, with Hannibal at his side. Guiding and encouraging him to embrace his true nature, just as Hannibal embraced his own.

Together they can do that. 

Together. 

Hannibal realised his thoughts had run away with him, but Will didn’t seem to notice - too busy still scanning the menu. 

Hannibal cleared his throat and picked up the list of expensive wines that the restaurant had available, his eyes landing on one of his favourite brands. 

It was only when Will finally looked up from the menu that he glanced over to the bar and saw the girl watching him. Their eyes met and she smiled immediately. When Will smiled back and let his eyes travel over her before he had a chance to stop them, she blushed and looked away. 

He felt Hannibal watching him, so looked down and cleared his throat. 

Shortly after, the waitress came over to the table, took the menus, and smiled politely at Hannibal - who did a wonderful job at pretending to return a friendly greeting. 

“Hello,” she said brightly, “Are you gentlemen both ready to order?" 

Will picked something much less fancy compared to Hannibal’s dish. Of course Hannibal had gone for something that Will couldn’t even pronounce if he tried.

And then Hannibal seemed to make a show of picking the most expensive wine. The waitress looked a little shocked when he asked for it, but simply replied enthusiastically, “A bold and excellent choice.”, with a smirk. 

=================================

When Hannibal and Will had long since finished eating, and were simply sipping on their wine, they began to discuss an interesting case they had both seen on the news. One that the fbi and police were clearly clueless about. They were urging the public to come forward with any information that they might have. Which basically meant, ‘We haven’t got a clue, help us out?’.  
A kidnapper, targeting young and vulnerable women. 

Hannibal and Will smirked as they made comments about the fbi’s incompetence, and Will said under his breath that they should go to one of the man’s scenes and show them how it’s done. He looked down as he said it, and Hannibal’s eyes flicked to Will’s knuckles to see them temporarily whiten as the grip on his wine glass turned a little firmer.

He looked up at Hannibal through long, black lashes. 

He’d be able to find him easily. 

He wanted to.

There was a glint in Will’s eyes as he suggested it. 

Hannibal smiled, clearly very pleased with the suggestion. 

He looked proud. 

=================================

The pretty waitress returned when the wine glasses were empty and Hannibal made a gesture for the check. 

She tried to remain casual as she watched the two of them slip their jackets on, but she failed to be subtle about the little note that she had placed under the check. Her phone number was scribbled onto it, and she deliberately pushed the check, with the note securely underneath it, to Will’s side of the table. 

Hannibal eyed it first, and the way his jaw clenched made Will follow the direction that his eyes were looking. Only then did Will spot the number. 

Will looked up at her - she was biting her lip and looked a little nervous.  
He was shocked, and couldn’t help the way he smiled almost boyishly back at her.  
She was beautiful, and showing clear interest in him, of course it felt good. 

He tried to act casual, hoping Hannibal hadn’t noticed the number and was simply looking at the check on Will’s side of the table with annoyance because he always insisted that he wanted to be the one that pays. 

Will waited until Hannibal opened his wallet to get his card, so his eyes were temporarily distracted, and then he made sure she saw as he took the piece of paper and slipped it into his jacket pocket, with a look on his face close to embarrassment and blushing. 

Though he did try to remain composed, he was with Hannibal, after all. 

Once he’d paid, Hannibal stood up straighter and gave Will a curious look, but he didn’t say anything. 

His face held no readable expression. 

=================================

They didn’t speak during the drive home, they simply listened to the soft classical music and the sound of gentle rain hitting the windscreen. 

There was no tension, they were both just clearly deep in thought. 

When Will and Hannibal arrived home, they both put their jackets on the rack by the door. 

Will didn’t linger around, he wondered off upstairs to have a shower. 

Hannibal, on the other hand, did linger by the door for a moment. 

He looked at Will's jacket, thought of the folded up note in the pocket with the beautiful Amelia’s number scribbled onto it. 

He tilted his head as he thought for a moment, but didn’t hesitate at all when he reached for it. 

=================================

Later that evening Hannibal noticed Will stood by the coat rack, fiddling around in his jacket pockets. 

There was no note to be found. 

Will was sure he put it in there. 

It must have fallen out, or he missed his pocket? 

He huffed with annoyance, though the more he thought about it - would he have ever let anything come of it?  
Maybe he just enjoyed the attention.  
But somehow it felt like he would be being unfaithful, in a way, if he actually let it go somewhere. 

He sighed and hung the jacket up again. 

What he didn’t notice was Hannibal watching him.. with a smile so subtle, it was hardly there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a lil note :  
> From what Bryan has said previously, season4 Will would be quite out if his mind, fully embracing his becoming and be quite dark, drunk on blood lust perhaps. I think season four will be quite dark and wild! And I would hope that it would be (if it ever happens), I want to see an exploration of Hannibal and Will’s dark and twisted connection, how they explore it together etc etc.  
> But you’ve probably noticed by now that this fic isn’t really like that, it’s quite a peaceful take on what their life could be like after the fall.  
> My point is, my post-fall fic isn’t representative of what I actually think s4 would be like, I think it would be a lot darker! But I’m enjoying writing a nice peaceful life for them, for once!  
> This fic is relaxing for me and it makes me happy tbh! but if I were to ever discuss with y’all what s4 would canonically be like, it would probably be a lot different to this - though there are some moments in here that I really would love to see in s4!😉  
> Anyway, I just wanted to put that out there!


	5. Chapter 5

The nights were always so peaceful. Living in a remote location meant quiet and still surroundings. Only the sound of wildlife venturing out into the night. Maybe an owl hooting or crickets chirping. 

Will was surprised with how well he slept in his new home with Hannibal. Even with the safety and normality that came with his and Molly’s life, nightmares had still plagued him fairly often. But not here.

They were such a rare occurrence that if they did happen to torment Will’s pillow, Hannibal would come to check on him. No matter what time of night it was. Trying hard not to let his worry show, he’d offer to sit with Will for a little bit. Will usually said no, he was fine, and Hannibal could go back to bed. He didn’t like to disturb him. But occasionally, just occasionally, if it was a particularly bad one he would slowly nod his head at Hannibal’s offer. 

Hannibal would sit on the edge of the bed and speak in a language that Will couldn’t understand but assumed was Lithuanian. He’d talk for about five minutes and by that time Will would have fallen back asleep. Will had no idea what he said, but based on the tone and structure of his words he guessed it was some kind of Lithuanian story, fairytales perhaps. 

But that didn’t happen very often.   
No, the nights were peaceful. 

Which is why one night when Will found himself tossing and turning, unable to sleep, he felt all the more frustrated. 

He turned to look out of his window. The moon was full and bright. Accompanied by a scattering of bright stars. It looked nice outside. Maybe he just needed some fresh air. 

He huffed and ran a hand over his face as he rose from his bed, tucking his feet into some slippers.   
He was only wearing his shorts and t-shirt but couldn’t bring himself to care about whether or not he’d be cold as he quietly tiptoed into the kitchen. He didn’t want to wake Hannibal.

He decided to have a whiskey on the porch. Bask in the moonlight and try to clear his head.   
And so he began his search for the porch key, as quietly as possible.   
He found it in one of the drawers in the kitchen and was shocked when he also discovered a case of cigars. 

It was a small case, barely used, so it was clear that Hannibal didn’t make a habit of it. But still, Will’s eyebrows rose slightly when he saw them. Perhaps just for ‘special occasions’. 

Without really thinking, he took one from the case. As well as some matches and the key.   
Then he poured himself a large whiskey and went out to the porch. 

There was some comfortable, and most likely unnecessarily expensive, outdoor furniture on the porch but Will chose to stand all the same. 

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Took in the smell of the outdoors. Fresh, clean, and wonderfully packed full of nature. 

It was dark but the moonlight cast a cool, yet gentle, glow on everything.  
Standing there, looking up at the stars, it felt as though time didn’t exist. Everything was so still, so serene. 

Will let out a content sigh and then placed the cigar between his lips before lighting it. 

The embers at the end of the cigar seemed so bright in contrast to the darkness around him. They cast an orange glow onto Will’s face, making everything seem so much warmer. 

He inhaled heavily, felt the warm smoke fill him, tasted it on his tongue, and then exhaled smoothly. Watched the smoke dance through the night air. A slow and surprisingly delicate dance. Swirling and drifting, until it simply faded away. And then there was nothing. Just the darkness of the night again.

Will had a small sip of whiskey and then took another drag of the cigar.   
If anything just to see that smoke dance again. 

He didn’t hear Hannibal approach from behind. 

Hannibal had heard Will in the kitchen, looking for something in the drawers. He’d had a small moment of panic before he told himself not to worry and to simply go and check on him. 

Hannibal had grabbed his robe and then went through to the kitchen. But Will wasn’t there.   
It was only when Hannibal turned to the glass doors that led outside that he saw Will. 

His back to Hannibal, Silhouetted by the moonlight, smoke floating through the air in front of him, and a glass of golden whiskey reflecting the cool light of the moon.

Hannibal smiled softly and then put his robe on. 

Will was so entranced as he counted the stars that he didn’t notice Hannibal quietly slide open the door and come to stand just behind him. 

“There’s something incredibly calming about the stillness of the night.” Hannibal said thoughtfully, making Will aware of his presence, “The quiet and the dark. Some find it unnerving. I think you find it to be quite the opposite. calming.”

His voice was gentle and grumbly, still filled with sleep. It didn’t startle Will but he was also a little shocked at Hannibal’s sudden presence. 

Must have heard him in the kitchen and come to check on him. 

Will turned to him, accepted his words to be true as he smiled ever so softly, and then turned back to face the moon. 

“You’ll catch a cold out here.” Hannibal said then, his voice still quiet and slightly raspy as he came to stand right beside Will. 

Will could feel how Hannibal was still carrying the warmth of his bed. He wanted to lean into him. 

His hair was a little out of place but it humanised him. Will liked it. It looked soft.  
He was also wrapped in a robe and Will kicked himself for not doing that too. It was a little chilly. 

“I’ve got this to keep me warm.” Will replied with a tip of his glass of whiskey to emphasise his point. And on cue he took a sip. He felt the burn as it glided down his throat. Felt it pool in his stomach and revelled in the warmth inside that followed. 

Hannibal gestured to the cigar, “I wasn’t aware you indulged in such things.”

“I don’t. But I was looking for the key to the balcony door and found them. I figured why not.” 

Hannibal hummed. 

He turned to face Will, brought his hand up to Will’s mouth, gently took the cigar from his lips, and then brought it to his own and inhaled.

Will let him, watched him, and saw the smoke dance again. It looked different with Hannibal’s face at the centre of it. Darker somehow.

Will took another sip of whiskey and then accepted the cigar back from Hannibal. 

“Nightmares?” Hannibal asked quietly. 

“No, actually. I haven’t had any for a while. Just couldn’t sleep.” 

Hannibal seemed pleased to hear that Will hadn’t been having nightmares but there was still a hint of sympathy for his lack of sleep. 

Hannibal followed the direction that Will’s eyes were looking and joined him in gazing at the stars, quite a few visible that night. All twinkling brightly now that they had the darkness to help them shine. 

“I used to do this quite a lot. Go outside and look at the stars when I couldn’t sleep.” Will whispered into the air.   
“I would look up at the sky. Orion above the horizon and, near it, Jupiter. I wondered if you could see it too. I wondered if our stars were the same.”

“I believe some of our stars will always be the same.” Hannibal replied softly, turning once again to face Will. 

Neither of them said anything more for a while. 

The air became cooler and goosebumps rose up on Will’s bare arms.

“Perhaps you could join me inside. It’s getting rather cold out here. I’ll light the fire.“ Hannibal suggested.

Will nodded gently. 

=================================

They had fallen asleep together on the sofa that night, after a short while sipping whiskey side by side. 

They’d sat close to each other, comfortable and warm by the fire. The whiskey warming them on the inside too. 

Their knees had brushed a few times as they sat in relative silence, the crackling of the fire distracting them and enticing them away from any real conversation. 

And eventually they’d drifted off, thighs pressed together, and Will’s head slowly falling to rest on Hannibal’s shoulder. 

=================================

They wake up close together. Hannibal is lying behind Will, his front pressed up against Will’s back. His arm flung around Will’s waist. Will supposes they were seeking warmth while sleeping.   
As they slowly shuffle awake from their slumber, Hannibal subconsciously, and most likely still dreaming, nuzzles his face into the back of Will’s neck. He makes a sleepy sound and presses his lips there. 

Will isn’t quite sure how to react. He doesn’t feel uncomfortable he just feels... he doesn’t really know how he feels about it. 

He shuffles back slightly, fully awake now and trying to nudge Hannibal out of his sleep.   
And that’s when he feels Hannibal, pressing against him.   
He tries to be cool about it, Hannibal is clearly just dreaming and.. got a bit stiff. It’s normal for men, and Will isn’t going to make a big deal out of it. So he simply moves to get up. 

But Hannibal makes another grumble in his sleep, pulls Will closer to him, and rocks his hips against him. He’s pressing his stiffness into Will, and it pulls a small sound out of Hannibal. Followed by another press of his lips as he nuzzles his face into the curls at the bottom of Will’s neck.

Will feels his cheeks turn red. he has to get up.

“Hannibal, wake up.” He says a little loudly to try and pull him out of his sleep. And then he pulls himself out of Hannibal’s grip and stands. 

Hannibal mumbles, reaches and finds nothing, and then his eyes open slowly. 

His hair is all messy, and it makes Will chuckle to see him like this. 

Will stretches where he is stood and watches as Hannibal slowly wakes.

Hannibal grumbles slightly and then sits up, tilting his neck this way and that, finding it a little sore. 

“Did you sleep okay? The sofa is not the best place for a good nights rest.” Hannibal says with a huffed laugh as he stretches. 

He feels his arousal before he sees it, and then he notices Will’s eyes. He’s stood just in front of Hannibal, and It’s very clear he’s trying not to look, his eyes keep flicking there and then quickly away again.   
Hannibal glances down and sees the very obvious and very insistent imprint in his pyjama bottoms, pushing harshly against the fabric and creating a rather obscene bulge.

“Oh-“ Hannibal remarks as he hurries to cover himself with a cushion. “Forgive me, I-“

“It’s fine, Hannibal,” Will interrupts with a small and slightly awkward smile, “Happens to all of us.”

Hannibal makes to say something else, but Will raises a hand.   
“Really, it’s fine. It happens.” He says with a shrug. 

After just a seconds silence, Will adds,   
“I’m gonna go make some coffee.” 

Eager to move on and not embarrass Hannibal any further. 

“You want a cup?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kind of rushed the last edits of this so I’m sorry if it’s not as good as previous chapters. But I said I would upload this tonight and I didn’t want to go back on my word.  
> It’s a little shorter than previous chapters but I hope you enjoy it all the same. And I have a few ideas for the next chapter that I am working on!

Later that day Will invites Hannibal to go on one of his walks. It’s the first time he has offered and Hannibal smiles cheerily as he accepts.  
Will explains that they will go through the forest and to the stream. Will, of course, will take some fishing gear and maybe even teach Hannibal. Hannibal tries and fails to hide his displeasure at the idea and Will huffs a laugh in amusement. 

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He jokes.

But Hannibal decides in that moment that if Will offered to teach him once there, he absolutely would accept - even if he had no interest in the activity. 

Hannibal spends a short while making a little picnic - sandwiches that look far too interesting for a day out walking, a selection of grapes, and a cheese platter set that Will had no idea they owned. And he manages to fit in a bottle of red wine with two glasses. He also packs some drawing utensils for himself, setting them carefully on top of everything else in the basket.  
Once prepared, they both get dressed before heading out. 

Will simply throws on a pair of jeans - ones that are loose enough to roll up at the bottom for when he gets to the stream - and a plain green shirt with his short-cut boots.  
It’s a warm day so he doesn’t wrap up.  
Hannibal, on the other hand, is sure to wear a fine pair of beige slacks with a comfortable white shirt. And pairs them with the most appropriate brown walking shoes he can find.  
Which, of course, match his brown belt.  
Will feels absolutely ridiculous when the words “You look nice.” Involuntarily slip out of his mouth at the sight of Hannibal.  
Hannibal only smiles smugly and replies “As do you.” Before picking up the basket. 

The walk there is lovely. It’s a beautiful day - sun shining, blue skies, birds chirping brightly, the smell of grass, the enormous trees standing tall all around them.  
It’s perfect. 

They walk side by side in relative silence, enjoying the sound of little twigs crunching under their feet, and only really speaking when they spot a bird near by. Which leads to them essentially playing a game of ‘who can identify the species first’. 

Hannibal always wins. 

Once there, Hannibal sets the picnic blanket and basket down neatly.  
Will doesn’t hesitate to take off his shoes and socks, roll up his jeans, and get his fishing equipment. He is soon wading into the stream, content as he fiddles with the ties in his hand. 

Hannibal sits on the picnic blanket close by, watching Will for a while.  
A few times when he catches something he takes it over to show Hannibal, a proud look on his face. It warms Hannibal’s heart to see him smiling as he describes what kind it is and points out all the markings to Hannibal, before going off again to gently set it free, lest it be out of the water for too long.

At one point, eager to show an interest in Will’s hobbies, Hannibal follows him into the stream (though he avoids getting his shoes wet by only standing on the scattering of rocks) and asks before Will has a chance to guide a fish back into the water, “May I release this one?” 

Will seems pleasantly surprised, “Of course, here.” 

He gently hands Hannibal the fish, a brown trout with orange spots, and reminds him to be careful because it is slippery.  
Hannibal admires the colours of it’s scales before he leans down and slowly releases it back into the water, watching as it realises it is free once again and swims off. 

Hannibal retreats back to the picnic blanket after a while, leaving Will to his fun.  
The blanket is under the shade of a tree which provides some relief from the rather persistent sun, and also makes for a sturdy seat to lean back against it. 

Listening to the song created by birds all around, the trickling of the stream, and the crickets nearby, Hannibal takes out his sketch pad and pencils.  
Meanwhile, Will enjoys the feeling of the warmth of the sun on his face as he wades around the river. It’s so peaceful. 

Will turns to look over his shoulder and there sits Hannibal. He’s looking down at his sketch pad, and despite being under the tree for some shade, the sun has still managed to reach him. A little stream of light hitting his face. 

He looks angelic.  
Sat there under the tree, drawing carefully, the sun making him golden, and his white shirt standing out brightly.

He looks so content. 

They both are. They’re happy here. 

It’s strange, after everything, to think they could be here. Like this. 

Free. 

Will wants to ask Hannibal about the time when he wasn’t free. They’ve never really spoken about it. He was locked up longer than Will, and with different circumstances. This freedom must taste just a little sweeter to him. 

Maybe he will ask about it. 

He wades out of the stream, towards Hannibal. 

“What are you drawing?” He asks as he sits down next to him, feet still dripping a little as he takes one of the sandwiches out of the basket and starts eating. 

“You.” Hannibal replies simply. 

He tilts the sketch pad towards Will so he can see and sure enough Will sees himself. Stood in the stream, fishing rod in hand, an expression of concentration, and the same beautiful scenery around them as he can see right now. 

Will finds it quite touching that Hannibal would draw this moment, this day of theirs. Permanently etched into the paper. A moment savoured and captured. 

“It’s really good.” He says quietly, because he can’t really think of anything else to say.

He takes another bite of his sandwich. 

Hannibal smiles softly. Then he puts the drawing down for a moment. Rests his head back against the trunk of the tree and closes his eyes. Let’s the warmth of the sun spread over his face. 

Will watches him for a moment. Then he puts his food down. 

“Do you like it here?” Will asks. 

“Very much so.” 

“It must feel nice.. to be free again.”

“A feeling you can relate to.”

“It’s different for you.”

“It is?” Hannibal replies with a smirk and then opens his eyes to look at Will.  
“How so?”

“I was free before you. I have been for a while. Plus I was locked up for less time than you.”

Hannibal remains silent. 

Will shuffles a little. 

“What I mean is, you went three years, three whole years, without freedom. Without proper human interactions or contact. You’re someone who led a very full and satisfying life. You were happy and you had your freedom.”

Will pauses, frowning. “You gave it all up.”

“For you.” Hannibal finishes for him. 

“Why?” Will asks, puzzled. 

“I wanted you to know where I was. Where you could always-“

“Find you, yeah I know I’ve heard that before.” Will interrupts.

Hannibal watches him closely.  
And Will visibly hesitates before he speaks again.

“What if I hadn’t come back to you. What if I’d never seen you or spoken to you again. If I just moved on and forgot about you. You would take that risk?”

“It’s something I thought about a lot. But you didn’t forget about me, did you, Will? You couldn’t move on. And you came back to me.”

Hannibal smirks softly as Will picks at the grass silently. 

Then, “What else did you think about?” Will asks curiously.

“Three years is a long time to just be alone with your thoughts.” He adds.

“Yes it is. I thought a lot about you. If I would indeed see you again. And I thought about the things that I might do should I ever possess my freedom once more. But mostly I just wandered the rooms of my memory palace. Revisited old times and places. I would draw some of them. Read and write. I found ways to use my time.”

Will listens thoughtfully. 

Hannibal sighs contently. “I certainly never imagined that if I was ever to be free again it would be like this.” He says with a warm smile. 

Will huffs a why laugh. 

“I like it here too, you know.” Will murmurs. 

“I like being here, with you.” He says a little more slowly. As though he had only just really processed that himself. 

“I am very pleased to hear that, Will.” Hannibal says gently. 

Will smiles, clears his throat a little, and then pulls the basket over so it sits between them. 

“Want some wine?” He asks as he casually begins to unpack the lunch. 

Hannibal smiles and helps him.


End file.
